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Another Saturday Night. Another Brighton Noise presents…

Brighton Noise put on a fine Saturday night gig of local acts, featuring Porridge Radio, Penelope Isles, Beach Tape and Capt Lovelace. We were there to record things, photographically-speaking.

Capt Lovelace sang some intense folkish songs in English as well as her native French.

Beach Tape played a tightly wound excellent set of Pavement-esque rock. Only third on the bill but they were playing like headliners.

Penelope Isles play a mix of subtle brother-sister harmonies interspersed with harder scuzzy-rock. A slow number like ‘Cut Your Hair’ from earlier this year, seems designed to attract Magic Numbers comparisons, But that track is closely followed by another song that is fast and furious, like closer Gnarbone.

This heady combination creates an original and warm sound, aided by the familial intimacy of siblings Jack and Lily Walter. The band also have a tight dynamic professionalism carved by time on the road together that gives the whole sound a special edge.

Porridge Radio are ramshackle by comparison and intentionally so, as lead singer Dana proclaims to the audience “because we’re like you”. So Georgie, looking super-cool in her new glasses proceeded to bounce so hard that the said eyewear was thrown not once but twice to the floor. Drummer Sam stopped drumming while the others were playing to fix some technical fault with his foot pedals. It didn’t matter, they were still brilliant.

Every Porridge Radio gig is surprising and intentionally so. Dana Margolin rules over the controlled anarchy, but she is ably supported by aforementioned Sam and the steady bass throb of Maddie Ryall. Typical was the slow reggae bassline that Maggie started whilst Sam again fixed his pedal and the band joined in,gradually building up the crescendo of powerful emotion that is ‘Eugh’, another stellar track from their excellent album ‘Rice, Pasta and Other Fillers’.

All in all, it was a terrific night of local music, which was capped off by a couple of live DJ sets and more dancing.